| TBBOTOF | 25
When Luo Pingping left, she seemed a bit absent-minded, possibly shocked by Tang Xu's impractical words.
Tang Xu didn't explain further. After all, everyone has their own preferences.
When Luo Pingping returned, she was stopped by her mother-in-law, who asked what she talked about with Xu Ge'er.
Luo Pingping repeated the conversation to her mother-in-law, Wu Guizhi. "Nonsense! How can you base your life on looks?"
"...It's not just about looks... There's also a hint that he doesn't want to marry into a poor family," Luo Pingping lacked confidence. She actually thought that Xu Ge'er just wanted a good-looking husband. What use was there in good looks? One must have skills.
She was still too young.
Actually, Wu Guizhi knew she couldn't control too much about her grandchildren. They had separated early, and both she and her husband lived with the eldest son's family. Although they could see their grandchildren from the second and third sons a few times a year, they weren't very close.
In the past, Xu Ge'er was too soft-spoken and couldn't win Wu Guizhi's favor. Even now, though everyone said he had changed, Wu Guizhi hadn't seen him and wasn't sure how much he had changed.
But this person had a bit of vanity, especially when the younger generation wasn't being managed.
Wu Guizhi thought about it a lot, and her eldest daughter-in-law had nagged her a lot. In summary, Xu Ge'er had big ideas and wanted to find someone to marry on his own, asking them not to interfere. Interfering wouldn't help.
Wu Guizhi's face darkened, her expression sharper. She narrowed her eyes and scolded, "He's just an ignorant boy. Does he think he can marry into a wealthy family and become a young concubine?"
Luo Pingping was startled by her mother-in-law's outburst, her scalp tingling. She patted her chest and said, "Look at the way you're talking. Being a young concubine in a wealthy family is better than marrying a nobody and suffering without any money."
Wu Guizhi pointed her finger at her, "Can you think before you speak? Just because you got some silver coins from someone, you're willing to let him walk into a fire pit! Do you really think being a young concubine is better than those days?"
Luo Pingping realized she had spoken too hastily and quickly patted her mouth a few times, "Mother, I was wrong, I was just speaking without thinking. I don't really think like that."
Wu Guizhi was so angry her head was spinning. She just grunted and ignored her.
Luo Pingping knew she was in the wrong, so she didn't rush to reconcile with her mother-in-law. Instead, she went to the kitchen to soak chili seeds for Tang Xu.
Tang Xu finished washing the dishes, then took out the piece of pork loin that had been marinated last night from the basin. First, he smelled it to make sure it hadn't spoiled, then washed it with water.
He was actually thinking about various dishes made from pork loin, but the problem was, using pure lean meat without frying or coating with starch never tasted right to him, and the texture wasn't good either.
Maybe others could do it better, but he admitted his cooking skills were just average. He didn't want to waste this good piece of meat, and they didn't have so many seasonings at home to make it taste delicious and preservable.
After some thought, he decided to make shredded pork.
He cut the pork loin into pieces and put them in a pot with some ginger slices and green onions. He first boiled off the blood, then washed it clean and continued boiling.
While the meat was boiling, Tang Yang ran in from outside, "Brother! Where's my sugar painting?"
"I'll make it for you right away. Where did you go?" Tang Xu had already cleaned the pot used to make medicine and placed it on the small clay stove, simmering the sugar over low heat.
He crushed the piece of sugar he bought, dissolved one-third of it in water, and slowly simmered it over low heat. When the sugar completely melted and turned into a dense red color with tiny bubbles, he scooped some syrup with a spoon and poured it onto a piece of oiled paper with a small wooden stick.
Making simple sugar paintings wasn't difficult. He made seventeen in a row, using up all the syrup he had boiled. He didn't want to waste the rest of the syrup in the pot, so he added some water to it and boiled it down, making a sweet syrup to drink.
Tang Yang stood by with his mouth wide open, his face full of excitement. "Brother! Give it to me! I want the big bird one!"
Tang Xu smirked slightly. He had intended to draw a phoenix, but his drawing skills weren't that great. If he could draw a bird without it looking like a chicken, that would be considered a success.
He raised his hand and fanned it gently over the sugar painting. When the syrup dried completely, he lifted the palm-sized sugar painting from the oiled paper with the wooden stick. He had to be steady, gentle, and not too fast. The sugar painting came off intact without any damage.
He breathed a sigh of relief and handed the sugar painting of the bird to Tang Yang. As Tang Yang turned to run off with the sugar painting held high, Tang Xu called out to him, "Wait, take this little dog one too. Remember what I taught you yesterday?"
Tang Yang held one sugar painting in each hand, his eyes shining as he looked at Tang Xu. "I remember. Each sugar painting costs three wen. If they want to buy, tell them to come to our house. Brother will sell it to them."
But Tang Xu shook his head and pointed to the remaining fifteen sugar paintings. "Not only do you need to tell them, but also let them know that these sugar paintings are especially sweet and crispy. When you take a bite, it flakes off crisply, and when you lick it, it's sweet to the core. Got it?"
Tang Yang blinked his eyes and nodded. "Got it, sweet and crispy. I'll definitely make them come to our house to buy."
Tang Xu praised him, "Good boy, off you go and play."
As Tang Yang ran out, Tang Xu thought for a moment, then poured a bowl of sugar water and took it to the main room.
On the kang, hearing footsteps, Liu Xiangxiang turned to the side and closed her eyes. Her eyeballs rolled under her eyelids, and she heard everything they said. She knew that now, besides Tang Xu, there was no one else in the house.
With a light click, Tang Xu placed the bowl in his hand on the table.
Liu Xiangxiang's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't open her eyes.
She was afraid that if she opened her eyes and saw Tang Xu, she couldn't help but burst into angry curses again.
Tang Xu didn't leave, but instead sat down at the edge of the kang, lifting the blanket up to cover her shoulders. He spoke gently, "Mother, I asked father to give the small money pouch to Uncle and Aunt."
Liu Xiangxiang, who was lying down, suddenly sat up and reached out to scratch his face.
Tang Xu quickly dodged and moved to a chair beside the table.
He picked up the bowl on the table and blew on it before taking a sip. "Sweet."
Liu Xiangxiang was furious, her eyes glaring at him fiercely. "You little beast!"
"If I'm a little beast, then what does that make you, the one who gave birth to me?" Tang Xu drank the warm sugar water with a slurp, then suddenly said, "Actually, I have a question recently that I want to ask you, Mother. I wonder if you can help me understand?"
Liu Xiangxiang was momentarily taken aback, her expression darkening.
Tang Xu rubbed his chin, glanced at Liu Xiangxiang's expression, and smiled after a while. "It seems that part of my guess might be correct."
Liu Xiangxiang gripped the blanket tightly with both hands, nervously asking, "What did you guess? You little brat, your guesses are all wrong!"
"Whether they're right or wrong, Mother knows best," Tang Xu finished the sugar water in the bowl in one gulp and stood up. "I've grown up, and you've contributed to that. I won't mention this matter to father without evidence, as for whether he will figure it out, that's hard to say."
Liu Xiangxiang's eyes were trembling uncontrollably, and sweat beads appeared on her forehead due to panic.
"Mother, take a rest. What would you like for lunch? I'll make it for you."
“Get out! Get out of here!” Liu Xiangxiang shouted.
Tang Xu kept a smiling face, but inside, he was cursing up a storm.
He really hit the nail on the head!
Tang Xu wasn't a child of the Tang family!
He just didn't know how Liu Xiangxiang managed to switch the children.
Without evidence, anything he said would be useless. He had just bluffed the other party to see Liu Xiangxiang in a state of panic and confusion. There must be other factors involved in this matter.
The child was definitely switched, but he didn't know which family's child was swapped with his. He figured Liu Xiangxiang wouldn't easily confess.
Tang Xu returned to the kitchen. This matter wasn't urgent. As long as he could scare Liu Xiangxiang into keeping quiet and not spitting venom at him for no reason, it would be fine.
3 Comments
Ohhh so that's how it is.. 🤔 thank you for the update.. ❤️🐾
ReplyDeleteI supposed it, indeed a contemptible woman 😤
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update
Her mother and sister in law had to be in on it too
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